6. Six
6
SIX
R ex wasn’t wrong. I had settled into my new reality faster than I would’ve thought possible. The second the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant, however, a weird sort of calm settled over me.
I had pictured myself as a mother through various phases of my life. I always knew I wanted a child—at least one—and somehow the picture had faded into the background over the years. My father’s insistence that I marry as part of a business arrangement rather than love played a part in that. Somehow my dreams became as small as me.
I’d panicked upon seeing the home pregnancy tests. By the time I left the doctor’s office, I knew what I was going to do. That didn’t mean I wanted to force Rex into parenthood against his will. Just because I wanted to be a mother, that didn’t mean he was ready to be a father. He had to make that choice for himself.
Now, not only was I pregnant, but I was also easing into the second trimester. That meant I would have to tell my family before they started biting their tongues because my wardrobe was about to shrink.
I’d already ripped off the bandage with Rex. It made sense to do it with my family as well. If I dragged things out, it would get harder and harder to tell them. It was best to blurt out the truth, then let them deal for the next few weeks. Eventually, they would come to accept it. Some of them might even be excited.
That was the thought that propelled me to the boardroom for the second time in the same day. My father wasn’t there this time—thankfully—but my mother, brother, and sisters were seated at the table riffling through binders.
“Ruby?” Mom jerked up her chin when I walked through the door. “This is a surprise. I thought you were down for the count.”
“I feel much better,” I assured her. Because I was nervous, I headed straight for the drink cart. In a Vegas casino, it wasn’t unheard of to sip cocktails throughout your afternoon meetings. I only remembered I couldn’t drink when my hand was already on the vodka bottle. I immediately abandoned it and grabbed a bottle of water.
My hands shook as I cracked the cap on the bottle. I then proceeded to guzzle half of it, to the point where I was gasping for air when I sat at the opposite end of the table from my mother. I thought it would be easy to drop the bomb on them. Now that I was here, the closest people in my life surrounding me, I wasn’t so certain.
“Ruby, would you like to share with the class what’s going on?” Mom prodded in her amiable way. She looked worried. “You look better than you did this afternoon but…” She trailed off. My mother was nothing if not mannered. She wouldn’t come right out and tell me I looked like death warmed over.
“I went to the doctor,” I started. It was the only thing I could think to say.
Mom went rigid. “Omigod. It’s not cancer, is it?” Her hand pressed to the spot over her heart. “If it is, we’ll get you the best treatment money can buy. I don’t care if we have to fly you to Australia for unauthorized treatments, we’ll do it.”
I frowned. “Um … thanks,” I said finally. “I guess.” I tried to picture myself flying to Australia for unauthorized cancer treatments, and it was a very odd image, like a scene from some witch doctor movie. “I don’t have cancer, though.”
“Oh.” Mom exhaled heavily, seemingly relieved. “That’s good. I’m glad you’re in good health.”
“She didn’t say that,” Pearl interjected. “She just said she didn’t have cancer. It could be a heart thing … or menopause. You’re not going through menopause, are you? You’re young, but stranger things have happened.”
“It’s not menopause,” I assured her. Then I frowned. “I’m younger than you. Why would I go through menopause before you?”
Pearl shrugged. “I always figured that being mentally young would keep me physically young. I don’t think I’ll go through menopause until I’m sixty.”
“Oh, well, have at it.” Only Pearl would turn menopause into a competition. “If you want to be the last to go into menopause, you have my permission. It’s not menopause, though.”
Mom’s tone was low and full of warning as she stared me down. “Ruby, I’m a woman on the edge right now. I really need you to tell me what’s going on. I can’t allow you to drag things out any longer. Just … let me know what it is. Do you need a new liver? I always thought Opal would be the one who needed that, but we’ll deal. Someone will be a match and livers totally regenerate.”
She knew a lot about liver transplants. I filed that away to think on later.
Opal glared at her. “Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome, dear.” Mom absently patted Opal’s wrist. Her gaze remained firmly on me. “I need to know what we’re dealing with. I can’t come up with a plan of attack until I know what’s wrong.”
“Okay.” I licked my lips. Why was this so unbelievably hard? “Technically nothing is wrong. I mean, I don’t think you’re going to throw a party—at least not yet—but I’m not dying or anything. I’m not even really sick.”
Mom eyed me with the same stare she unveiled when I was sixteen and got caught making out with one of the security guards in a janitor’s closet. “Ruby, spit it out. You’re not helping matters. This soft peddle is going to give me indigestion, and I think we’ve had enough stomach issues for one day.”
She wasn’t wrong. “I’m pregnant.” The words came out much stronger than I was anticipating. It almost sounded as if I’d shouted them through a megaphone.
Nobody spoke. Everybody just sat in their spot and stared at me as if I’d grown a second head.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” I challenged after several seconds.
Mom blinked so fast I thought her false eyelashes were going to take flight. “I think I misheard you,” was all she managed.
“No, you didn’t.” I shook my head. “I’m pregnant. That’s why I threw up all over Dad today. Where is he by the way? I’m kind of sorry he’s going to miss out on my happy news. If I delivered it the right way to him, I could’ve solved all of our problems with one convenient heart attack.”
That was enough to snap Mom out of her fugue state. “That’s not funny, Ruby.” She clucked her tongue. “We don’t want your father dead. We just want him to go away.”
“I don’t know,” Zach hedged. “I mean … I’m fine either way.”
“Zachary.” Mom murdered him with a single glare, then focused her full attention on me. “You’re pregnant?”
I nodded. “Twelve weeks.”
“Twelve weeks?” She cocked her head. “Who were you dating three months ago?”
This is where the conversation was doomed to go off the rails. “I wasn’t dating anyone per se. It was more of a … drunken mistake.” I reached for a smile and came up short. “He’s not in the picture.” At least for now, I silently added. It wouldn’t be difficult to slide Rex into the mix at a later date if it became necessary. It was best they all adjust to the news first and then go after him if he decided he wanted to be involved.
“So, let me get this straight.” Mom’s tone was icy. She did not sound like a woman who was excited to welcome her first grandchild. I was a little surprised. “Three months ago, you decided to have a one-night-stand and now you’re pregnant. Am I understanding this correctly?” She sounded as if she was interviewing me for a job.
“You are,” I confirmed.
“And you’re not going to tell us who the father is?”
“Not at this time, no.”
“Okay.” Mom tapped her fingers on the table. “Have you considered that now isn’t the best time for this? We’re dealing with so much. Your father is … well … your father. His mistress is about to give birth.”
“Huh.” Well, that made things even trashier than I’d considered. “Basically, you’re saying that my half-sibling is going to be the same age as my baby. Yeah, that about tracks in this family these days.”
Mom gave me a dark look. “It’s not funny.”
“Oh, I agree. Nothing about this is funny. I’m not trying to be funny. I’m trying to be honest. I figured it was best to tell you right away.”
“When did you find out?”
“About two hours after I puked on Dad.”
“So, you didn’t know,” Mom realized.
“Nope. I didn’t even consider it as a possibility until Olivia asked me if I was pregnant as a joke.”
“Olivia knew?” Mom sent Zach a scolding look. “She knew and you didn’t say anything?”
“I didn’t know,” Zach protested.
“Olivia didn’t know either,” I interjected quickly. “She was joking when she asked if I was pregnant. You know … because of the vomit situation. Don’t go accusing her of keeping things from you, because she didn’t.”
“Right.” Mom worked her jaw. “Well, I think it’s great.” She said it in the same strangled tone she’d used when she found out my prom dress was canary yellow. “I mean … I’ve always wanted to be a grandmother. I thought Zach would be the first one to come through for me, but this is just as good.”
Why didn’t I believe her? “Yes, I’m certain you’ll take an advertisement out in the paper to congratulate me on my drunken night first thing.”
Mom narrowed her eyes. “Nobody needs the sarcasm.”
“Sorry. I figured I should do something to liven up this conversation. My bad.”
Opal was the next to speak, and her tone was soft. “Are you sure this is what you want? I mean if you didn’t want it, there are other options.”
“There most certainly are not,” Mom countered. “She’s pregnant. Now she has to deal with the consequences.”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Thank you so much for your support, Mother. As for my options, I’m well aware of them. If I planned to exercise one of them—which I don’t—I wouldn’t have bothered telling any of you about this in the first place.”
“Right.” Opal’s forehead creased with concern. “You’re okay, aren’t you?”
I shrugged. “Other than puking on Dad—which I’m sure will be a fun story in a few years—I don’t feel bad. The doctor gave me some vitamins and told me to make an appointment with an OBGYN. I plan to make that call tomorrow. I should get a due date and everything then. After that, it’s just the simple task of carrying the baby to term and giving birth.”
Mom snorted. “Yes, just a simple task.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “Don’t you think you should have a husband for this little endeavor?”
I shouldn’t have been surprised she went there. I was, though. “You had a husband. How did that work out for you?”
She scowled. “And we’re back to the sarcasm.”
“Sorry.” I held up my hands in supplication. I knew this conversation was going to be hard. That’s why I’d opted to get it out of the way. Now they could pout and ponder for a few weeks before coming around to my way of thinking. And they would. Even though they were all shocked—we didn’t do well when we got off schedule—they would eventually be happy. They just had to work through it individually first.
“Listen, I know this is a shock for you guys.” I kept my tone light, although it took effort. “I don’t expect you to do a little jig and throw me a baby shower or anything. I just thought it was best to tell the truth. We don’t need any more surprise babies in this family, right?”
A muscle worked in Mom’s jaw, but she nodded. “Thank you for telling us.”
“I think you mean congratulations,” Zach corrected out of nowhere. He shot me a warm smile. “I, for one, can’t wait to be an uncle.”
Gratitude—and love—bubbled up. “Thank you, Zach. I think you’ll make a fantastic uncle.”
“I do too.” He pinned Mom with a serious look. “You need to accept that this has happened, because it has. Now it’s time to rally around Ruby. If she’s raising this baby alone, then we need to be there for her.”
“I just don’t understand why you’re doing it alone,” Mom pressed. “Don’t you want a husband?”
“Meh.” I lifted one shoulder. “Personally, I think I’ll probably be happier without one. I know you are.”
That earned a small mouth quirk. “Well, you’re right that I need to sit with this. Just for the record, though, I will not be referred to as Grandma. We will come up with a different name for me.”
“How about Nana?” Pearl suggested. “Grandma is a mouthful for a kid anyway.”
Mom murdered her with a single glare. “Nana is worse than Grandma.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ll come up with something.” I smiled and stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to go back to my suite and take a bath. It’s been a long day.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Zach asked.
“To watch me take a bath? No, I think I’m good.”
He scowled. “No, to talk. I just figured you might want someone to talk with.”
“Yeah, you just want to know who the father is so you can pick a fight. I’m good on my own. Thank you though.” I headed toward the door. “As for the rest of you, I expect you to do better when you’ve had time to adjust.”
“We’ll get right on that,” Pearl said dryly.
“Thanks. I knew I could count on all of you.”
I DID EXACTLY WHAT I SAID AND RETURNED to my suite so I could relax in the bathtub. I made sure to avoid the casino floor because I didn’t want to run into Rex. He definitely needed time to adjust. My plan was to hole up in my room and start figuring things out. With that in mind, I bundled up in my robe and sat down with my tablet. It was time to come up with a to-do list. I’d only made it through three items when there was a knock on my door.
I expected to find Zach waiting for me when I opened it. He wasn’t the type to just let something go. Instead, I found Olivia. She had a covered tray in her hands and a huge, scary smile on her face.
“Congratulations,” she blurted.
I eyed her for what felt like a really long time. In reality, it was likely only two seconds. The silence dragged on to infinity and back in my head, though. “Hey,” was all I could manage.
She didn’t wait for me to invite her in. Instead, she used her hip to nudge me out of the way and carried the tray to the small dinette set near the kitchen. “I thought you could use some food.” Her voice was unnaturally chipper. “Have you eaten?”
“Not since I lost my breakfast on my father.”
“I figured.” Olivia tilted her head toward one of the chairs. “Sit. I got you chicken noodle soup and bread. It’s healthy and delicious.”
“Are you gearing up to go into advertising?” Even though I didn’t think I was hungry, the smell of the soup had my stomach growling. Maybe it wasn’t the worst idea in the world.
“Since your siblings appear to be in shock—your brother too, even though I know he at least tried to put on a happy face—I figured I should be the one to take care of you tonight.” She sat across from me and waited for me to butter the bread. She didn’t speak again until I took a bite. “I’m very happy for you.”
She meant it. She wasn’t the type to say something she didn’t mean, even if she was trying to make me feel better. “Thank you.” I dug into the soup. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled this soup.”
“I didn’t want you to be alone.”
“I’m fine being alone.”
“Yes, well, you shouldn’t have to be.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m not happy with your family right now. I want you to know that.”
I didn’t blame her. I wasn’t all that happy with them either. “Yes, well, they just need some time. Eventually they’ll get over their shock and be happy for me.”
“I’m sure they will.”
“At least you’re happy for me.”
“I am,” Olivia agreed. “I’m also curious.”
“About what?” I was more focused on my dinner than her, so she caught me completely off guard with the next part.
“About whether or not my brother is the father.”
I froze with my spoon halfway to my mouth. “What?” The question came out as a squeak. “Why would you think that?”
“Because I saw you leaving the party together and knew back then.”
“Knew what?”
“Oh, don’t.” Olivia shook her head. “I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t my business. You and Rex are adults … and I figured maybe it wasn’t the first time. You guys are kind of flirty with one another.”
“That’s just an act.”
She waited.
“It was the first—and last—time.” Exasperation had my shoulders sinking. “Listen, please don’t make a big deal out of this. We were drunk. It happened. I told him he doesn’t have to be involved if he doesn’t want to be involved.”
“And what did he say to that?”
I shrugged. “Nothing so far. He needs to think it out. This is a big decision, and I didn’t go into this to trap him. We made a mistake. I don’t think that mistake should change the entire course of his life.”
“Um … I do. He’s going to be a father.”
“Not if he doesn’t want to.” I was firm on that. “Don’t go pressuring him, Olivia. I only want him involved if he truly wants to be involved.” I slurped some of my soup before continuing. “Also, I need you to keep it to yourself until he makes his decision. I refuse to let my family hound him either way. Do you understand?”
Olivia opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off with a firm headshake.
“I need you to agree. This is my show, and I’m deciding how the performance is going to play out. That’s the only thing I have complete control over at this point.”
“Fine,” she said on a disgruntled sigh. “I don’t like this, though. I can’t believe Rex doesn’t want to be involved.”
“He’s in shock.” Honestly, I felt bad for the guy. “Give him time. He might surprise you.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then I’ll do it on my own. It will be fine. Trust me.”
Doubt etched across Olivia’s face. She nodded all the same. “Eat your soup. Then we’ll start making lists. I know you like lists.”
“I do like lists.”
Her expression softened. “It’s going to be okay. Everybody in your family will come around.”
“I know. It’s been a big day for all of us. Once the dust settles. It will be fine. I have faith.”
It was easy to say the words. Believing them was something else entirely.